Collapsible brush



Feb. 3, 1959 B. A. WEYL COLLAPSIBLE BRUSH Filed May 25, 1958 INVENT OR. BERNARD A. WEYL.

ll/II/II/J/III/I 1 4 ATTORNEYS,

COLLAPSIBLE BRUSH Bernard A. Weyl, Pittsburgh, Pa.

Application May 23, 1958, Serial No. 737,431 4 Claims. c1. -160) My invention relates to collapsible brushes and consists in certain new and useful improvements in the structure of such brushes. The improvements of the invention may be applied to hair brushes, tooth brushes, and brushes for removing dust'from clothing, or for polishing shoes, or for whatever service.

The art is familiar with many kinds of collapsible brushes; that is, brushes whose bristles are arranged to be swung from an erect service position into a collapsed or nested position in common plane, and the object of my invention is to provide an improved brush element for the effective support of the bristles in both an erect service position and in a flattened or collapsed position. In its collapsed position the brush is reduced to such small thickness that the brush may be readily carried about in the pocket of a coat or other garment, or it may be packed in a minimum of space in a toilet kit, or in luggage. In line with my objects economy in manufacture, and simplicity and effectiveness of structure are realized.

A brush element embodying the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, inwhich: 7

Fig. 1 is an isometric view of the body of the brush element before the brush bristles are mounted therein. In this view the body of the element is shown in its collapsed or compressed position;

Fig. 2 is an isometric view of the body of the brush element in its alternate or expanded position. In this view the brush bristles are shown mounted in the body and standing in erect service position;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary isometric view of the brush element, showing the body in the collapsed position in which it is shown in Fig. 1, but with the bristles mounted in the body and arranged in nested position. This view also shows a modification in structural detail;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary plan view, showing on larger scale another modification in the structure of the brush element. In this view the element is in collapsed position, with the brush bristles nested in a common plane; and

Fig. 5 is a view of the modified structures, as seen on the plane V-V of Fig. 4.

Referring to the drawings the brush element consists of a flexible and elastic body 2 of plastic material, such as rubber, which is molded or extruded in such way that the body normally remains in the position in which it is shown in Fig. 1. In such position the body is of castellated form in longitudinal section, and between its castellations grooves 3 open upwardly. The grooves have lateral wall portions 20w, as shown in the drawing.

Under tension applied in the direction of arrows a and b in Fig. 1, the plastic body 2 is elongated, and in such elongated or distended body the castellations are drawn fiat that is, the lateral wall portions 20w and top wall portions 201 of the grooves 3 are moved into substantially common plane with the bottom wall portions 20x of the grooves. The grooves substantially disappear, as illustrated in Fig. 2. Upon release of the applied tension nited States PatentO the elastic body, due to its inherent resilience and restitua tional forces, returns to its castellated form, Fig. .1.

In the body 2 tufts 5 of bristles are anchored, 'as cementing or vulcanizing them in holes 4 in the lateral wall portions 20w of the grooves (Fig. 1), in such manner that, when the body is distended and flat, the tufts of bristles stand erect (Fig. 2) for service as. a. brush.v

The tufts 5 are arranged in rows transversely of body},

interdigitated and nested in the groove, as will be under stood upon considering Fig. 3 of the drawings The row of bristle tufts adjacent to each end of body Z ne ed not have a groove 3'in which to nest, but simply may extend horizontally, as indicated at 55 in Fig. 3.

In refinement the body 2 may be reinforced or thickened by means of integrally formed ribs 6 that extend transversely of the body in those regions wherethe tufts of bristles are secured. The ribs provide greater depth of plastic material in which to effect the anchorage of the bristles, or to permit the body 2, elsewhere to beef less thickness than would otherwise be required.

The brush element will be mounted on a suitable support to form the complete brush structure, and such. support may take a great variety of. forms, depending upon the particular service for which the brush is,in-, tended. The design of a suitable support is merely a matter for the artisan, and suflice it herein to say that one end of the brush element may be secured to the support for movement relatively to the other end, and any suitablemeans may-be used for securing the ends;- In exemplary way in Fig. 2, I illustrate fragmentarily two relatively movable portions 7 and 8 of a support. A tongue 10 of circular cross sectionmay be integrally formed along each end of body 2, and complementary grooves 9 in the support portions 7 and 8 may serve firmly to engage said ends of the body to them, wherefore it is merely necessary to move the supports 7 and 8 relatively to each other between alternate fixed positions to adjust the brush element between collapsed and service positions.

In brushes having longer bristles than those contemplated in the structure of Figs. 1 to 3, the modification shown in Figs. 4 and 5 proves valuable. Here the extended tufts of bristles are longer than the breadth of the grooves 30 between the successive castellations 20c, 21c, 220, etc., while the row of bristle tufts at each end of the body 20 may be adapted to overlie the end of the body, as indicated at 50b in Fig. 4. The tips of the intervening rows of bristle tufts are adapted to lodge in pockets 11c and formed in the top and lateral wall portions of the castellations, as shown in Fig. 4. For example, the tips of the tufts of bristles 5c of castellation 22c extend across the groove 3c between such castellation and the next-adjacent castellation 21c, and lodge in the open pockets 11c formed in the wall portions of castellation 21c, while the tips of the bristle tufts 5d carried by the lateral Wall portions of castellation 21c lodge in pockets 12c formed in the wall portions of castellation 220. And so it is that open pockets 11c and 120 are provided in the bodies of the castellations of the plastic body 2c, to receive the tips of the bristle tufts of adjacent castellations when the brush element is collapsed or retracted from service position.

Other modifications and variations will occur to those skilled in the art, without departure from the essence of the invention defined in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A brush element having a body of elastic plastic material, said body being of substantially castellated form in longitudinal section to provide upwardly open grooves having top, bottom and lateral wall portions that extend transversely of said body, and rows of bristle tufts secured in the lateral wall portions of the grooves, with the tufts arranged substantially horizontally in the grooves, said body being 'expansible under longitudinally applied tension into a substantially flat form, whereby said lateral wall portions of the grooves move into a substantially horizontal plane and swing said tufts into substantially vertical position, the elasticity and restitutional characteristics of said body being adapted upon release of the applied tension to restore said body from its said substantially fiat 'form to its castellated form, whereby s'aid tufts return to said horizontal position in said grooves. V t

2. A "brush element having a body of elastic plastic material, said body being of substantially castellated form in longitudinal section to provide upwardly open grooves having top, bottom and lateral wall portions that extend transversely of said body, and two rows of bristle tufts secured severally in'the two lateral wall portions of each groove, the tufts being arranged substantially horizontally and having the tufts of one row staggered with respect to the tufts in the other row in each groove, said body being expansible under longitudinally applied tension into ajsubstantially fiat form, whereby said lateral wall portions of the grooves move into a substantially horizontal plane and swing said tufts into substantially vertical position, the elasticity and restitutional characteristics of said body being adapted upon release of the applied tension to restore said body from its said substantially flat form to its castellated form, whereby said tufts return to said horizontal position in said grooves.

3. A brush element having a body of elastic plastic material, said body being of substantially castellated form in longitudinal section to provide upwardly open grooves having top, bottom and lateral wall portions that extend transversely of said body, and a plurality of rows of bristle tufts secured in the lateral wall portions of the grooves, with the tufts arranged substantially horizontally in the grooves, said bristle tufts being greater in length than the grooves are in breadth, and pockets formed in the top and lateral wall portions of said grooves for the reception of the tips of the bristle tufts, said body being expansible under longitudinally applied tension into a substantially fiat form, whereby said lateral wall portions of the grooves move into a substantially horizontal plane and swing said tufts into substantially vertical position, the elasticity and restitutional characteristics of said body being adapted upon release of the applied tension to restore said body from its said substantially flat form to its castellated form, whereby said tufts return to said horizontal position in said grooves.

4. A brush element having a body of elastic plastic material, said body being of substantially castellated form in longitudinal section to provide upwardly open grooves having top, bottom and lateral wall portions that extend transversely of said body, and two rows of bristle tufts secured severally in the two lateral wall portions of each groove, the tufts being arranged substantially horizontally and having the tufts of one row staggered with respect to the tufts in the other row in each groove, said bristle tufts being greater in length than the grooves are in breadth, and pockets formed in the top and lateral wall portions of said grooves for the reception of the tips of the bristle tufts, said body being expansible under longitudinally applied tensioninto a substantially flat form, whereby said lateral wall portions of the grooves move into a substantially horizontal plane and swing said tufts into substantially vertical position, the elasticity and restitutional characteristics of said body being adapted uponrelease of the applied tension to restore said body from its said substantially flat form to its castellated form, whereby said tufts retur to said horizontal position in said grooves.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

